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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 1994)
Nebraskan Give it a shot V Chautauqua Tent—This tent at the State Fair is sponsored by the Nebraska Humanities Council. It will feature Ne storyteller Roger Wclsch Stale ^HL Poet Bill Klocfkom, among others. ■ 1 ^B fl VB ^^B M B BI^b ^B ^B Bf J| ^^B ^^B W ^B B ^^B W V mystery starring Mia m I^B BB|^^B ¥ B T A T gg^^B Bk ^B ^^^B^B f ^^B B ^k Quirky band set to play at State Fair By Paula Lavigne Senior Reporter It was no “accident” that threw the Crash Test Dummies into masical stardom. Almost overnight, “MMM MMM MMM MMM,” the first single off the band’s album “God Shuffled H is Feet,” went to the top of the charts, and the band was driven into the spot light. Part luck, part planning and part divine intervention may have propelled the Dummies over the top, but the real transformation cainc from within the five masicians from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Buckle your seat belts, bccaasc the band is scheduled to perform in Lincoln tonight in front of a crowd of more than 2,500. With his monstrously deep voice, lead sing er and songwriter Brad Roberts is the master mind behind all those quirky lyrics and philo sophical ponderings that permeate “God.” His brother, Dan Roberts, supplies his bass guitar. The ethereal backup vocals heard on many tracks are courtesy of pianist Ellen Reid, who also designs the band’s videos. Mandol in ist Benjamin Darvill, who also plays a furious harmonica, and drummer Mitch Dorgc round out the band. Between touring with the Dummies and grasping on to their recent success, Dan Roberts does not lead a glamorous life of stardom and fame. In fact, he spent his few days of vacation at his and Brad’s Winnipeg home folding their laundry. “We have separated things from our home life and band life,” he said. “On a day-to-day basis, we don’t talk about the band at breakfast. We talk' about matters concerning the house Courtesy ol Arista Records The Crash Test Dummies will play tonight at the Nebraska State Fair. The Dummies are, from left: Mitch Dorge, Benjamin Darvill, Dan Roberts, Ellen Reid and Brad Roberts (bottom). and obligations that we share." Although Dan and Brad look alike, they’re not twins. Dan is 27, three years younger than Brad, 30. ‘‘When I was 12, he was 16, so there was a big gap there,” Dan said. “Through his teen years, I was a kid, and in my teen years, he was a university student." Thcydidn’lspcndmuch time logcthergrow ing up, but Dan said they were able to gel to know each other as adults and get along well. Before the Dummies, both brothers were in separate bands. Then Brad’s band started to attract attention from record companies, and he wanted to solidify the lineup. Dan became suspicious of something when Brad began watching Dan’s band more frequently. “I noticed he started coming out and seeing my band — music he doesn’t even like!” Dan said. “It turned out he was confident in my playing, and when he was over for dinner one night, he asked, ‘Why don’t you just join iny band? It could be fun.”’ Although Dan liked the job he had, three things pulled him to join his brother. “I was excited about the songs he had, I was excited to play them, and I also knew lull well, looking around the bar-band scene, that people See DUMMIES on 9 I - ... , _ - State Fair mixes current events, agricultural roots By Paula Lavigne Senior Reporter Cholesterol tpsting, information superhighways and rock ‘n’ roll were unheard of when people gathered in Brownville in 1859 for the first terri torial fair in the United Stales. These terms arc common in 1994, as the Nebraska State Fair celebrates its 125th anniversary with the theme “Creating Your Own Memories.” The fair began Thursday and con tinues through Labor Day, Sept. 5. In 1869, when Nebraska became a state, the official state fair was permanently designated to be held in Lincoln. Back then, people came to ex change information, compete lor business and listen to famous ora tors. Communication was not as easy as picking up a phone, and people needed an annual place to meet. Things have changed, but some traditions still remain (he same, such as livestock showing and agriculture exhibits. Lydia Brasch.markctingdirector at the State Fair, said in those 125 years, the perception of the fair had been modified. . Brasch said the fair tried to keep up with current events and modern technology. “We change our program with the demand of our patrons,” she said. “We look at competing venues na tionally and meet annually with fairs across the world.” To do this, the fair management designed exhibits that focused on recent issues in the news, such as health care and the environment. “Earthbound ’94,” an exhibit fo cusing on the environment, will be held in Agriculture Hall today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. “Health Quest,” a new feature this year, runs through out the fair in the Festival Tent. “Health Quest” offers informa tion on recent health trends and con cerns, Brasch said. The exhibit will offer free services such as cholesterol testing. In an attempt to address the recent changes in farming technology. Brasch said 4-H and Future Farmers of America had designed programs to inform urban fanners and families involved in agribusiness. The Nebraska Home-Based Busi ness Association in the Sower’s Pa vilion will feature innovations in communication technology and en trepreneurship and also will be a featured item of “modernizing” the fair, Brasch said. “One of the things that changed at one point was this used to be a shop ping place for tractors and big farm machinery,” she said. ‘That’s not so extensive anymore. We try to incor porate mote venues.” However, the fair still has its ag ricultural roots. “Wc still have the horse bams, the swine bams, the beer garden, the blue ribbons and the midway,” she said. But one thing that never will change, she said, is the “magic” of the State Fair. “There’s a real attraction here for friendships,” she said. “A lot of peo ple have a longtime tradition to come to the fair and meet other friends and families. They make memories.” Tocclebratc the fair’s 125th anni versary, a number of events are planned. “Grand Reception and Admiral’s Ball,” on the evening of Aug. 27, is See FAIR on 9